The Secret Garden: Chapter 19 Summary & Analysis

As usual, Dr. Craven calls on Colin the day after the tantrum. He usually finds Colin white and ready to set off into hysterics again, but Mrs. Medlock assures him that Colin is different today, thanks to the "plain sour-faced child" who gave Colin a taste of his own medicine the night before. Dr. Craven is astonished to see Colin and Mary giggling and looking at a book. They stop as soon as they see the doctor. Colin grandly says that he's better and wants to go outside, which startles Dr. Craven. He also insists that the nurse won't go; Mary will accompany him instead. This all concerns Dr. Craven as he does stand to inherit Misselthwaite if Colin dies, but he has no interest in actively sabotaging Colin.

When Dr. Craven hears that Dickon is the one who will push Colin's wheelchair, he visibly relaxes. He laughs at Mary when she speaks to him in Yorkshire, and she replies coldly that she's learning Yorkshire like she would French. When Dr. Craven asks Colin if he took his medicine, Colin admits he didn't. However, as Dr. Craven starts to remind Colin of the things he needs to remember, Colin says he wants to forget the things that make him want to scream, as forgetting makes him feel better. Dr. Craven leaves soon after and speaks briefly with Mrs. Medlock about how Mrs. Sowerby has said that it's good for Colin and Mary to know each other. They discuss that Mrs. Sowerby believes that children teach each other that a single person doesn't own the whole world.

Colin sleeps all through the night and wakes refreshed in the morning. Mary arrives minutes later, smelling of the outdoors and with the news that spring has truly arrived. Colin laughs and asks Mary to open the window so they can hear "golden trumpets." Mary throws open the window and instructs Colin to lie down and breathe deeply. She says that Dickon thinks that doing so will make him live forever, which intrigues Colin. Mary tells him about all the live things outside, especially the newborn lamb that Dickon saved three days ago. The nurse enters, confirms that Colin actually wants the window open, and goes away to order two breakfasts.

When Colin and Mary receive their breakfast, Colin imperiously tells his nurse that Dickon and his creatures are going to visit and are to be brought right to him by Martha. The nurse is uncertain about the animals, but Colin says that Dickon is an animal charmer and the animals won't bite. As they eat, Mary says that Colin will start to get fatter if he keeps eating his breakfast.

About ten minutes later, Colin and Mary hear Dickon's animals in the hallway. Martha shows Dickon in, accompanied by Soot, Captain, Nut, Shell, and the lamb. Colin stares in wonder but cannot speak. Dickon silently approaches and puts the lamb on Colin's lap. The lamb starts to nuzzle into Colin's robe, and Dickon explains that the lamb is hungry. He pulls out a bottle to feed it and as the lamb eats and falls asleep, tells Colin all about finding the lamb on the moor. The children all look at the gardening books, and Dickon points out which flowers are already growing in the garden. Colin vows to go outside and see the flowers.